碎片化阅读之弊 The Cost of Fragmented Reading — HSK 6 Reading

地铁dìtiě里lǐ，几乎jīhū人人rénrén都dōu低dī着zhe头tóu刷shuā手机shǒujī，指尖zhǐjiān在zài屏幕píngmù上shàng飞快fēikuài地de滑动huádòng。

On the subway, nearly everyone's head is bowed over a phone, fingertips flying across the screen.

我们wǒmen每天měitiān接收jiēshōu的de信息xìnxī比bǐ以往yǐwǎng任何rènhé时代shídài都dōu多duō，可kě真正zhēnzhèng沉淀chéndiàn下来xiàlái的de知识zhīshi却què少shǎo得de可怜kělián。

We take in more information every day than in any previous era, yet the knowledge that actually settles in us is pitifully scarce.

碎片化suìpiànhuà阅读yuèdú的de最大zuìdà弊端bìduān，在于zàiyú它tā剥夺bōduó了le我们wǒmen深度shēndù思考sīkǎo的de能力nénglì。

The greatest harm of fragmented reading lies in how it robs us of the capacity for deep thought.

一篇yì piān长文chángwén被bèi压缩yāsuō成chéng三sān行háng摘要zhāiyào，一部yí bù经典jīngdiǎn被bèi浓缩nóngsuō成chéng五wǔ分钟fēnzhōng的de短视频duǎnshìpín，思想sīxiǎng的de深度shēndù就jiù这样zhèyàng被bèi牺牲xīshēng了le。

A long essay gets squeezed into a three-line summary, a classic gets boiled down to a five-minute video — and just like that, depth of thought is sacrificed.

神经科学shénjīng kēxué研究yánjiū表明biǎomíng，长期chángqī习惯xíguàn于yú跳跃式tiàoyuè shì浏览liúlǎn的de大脑dànǎo，会huì逐渐zhújiàn丧失sàngshī长时间cháng shíjiān集中jízhōng注意力zhùyìlì的de耐性nàixìng。

Neuroscience research shows that a brain long accustomed to skipping and skimming gradually loses the patience to concentrate for extended stretches.

这zhè并非bìngfēi说shuō碎片化suìpiànhuà阅读yuèdú一无是处yì wú shì chù，用yòng它tā来lái获取huòqǔ信息xìnxī固然gùrán方便fāngbiàn，但dàn若ruò以此yǐcǐ取代qǔdài系统xìtǒng的de阅读yuèdú，无异于wú yì yú用yòng零食língshí代替dàitì正餐zhèngcān。

This is not to say fragmented reading is worthless — for picking up information it is admittedly convenient — but letting it replace systematic reading is like living on snacks instead of proper meals.

读dú一本yì běn厚hòu书shū，就像jiùxiàng进行jìnxíng一场yì chǎng漫长màncháng的de对话duìhuà，你nǐ必须bìxū放慢fàngmàn脚步jiǎobù，与yǔ作者zuòzhě反复fǎnfù推敲tuīqiāo、争辩zhēngbiàn。

Reading a thick book is like holding a long conversation: you must slow your pace, weighing and debating with the author again and again.

信息xìnxī的de潮水cháoshuǐ越yuè汹涌xiōngyǒng，我们wǒmen越yuè需要xūyào一座yí zuò能néng静心jìngxīn读书dúshū的de孤岛gūdǎo。

The more violently the tide of information surges, the more we need a quiet island where we can simply read.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

弊端bìduāndrawback; malpractice; harm

沉淀chéndiànto settle; to sink in; to accumulate

剥夺bōduóto deprive; to strip away

浓缩nóngsuōto condense; to concentrate

推敲tuīqiāoto weigh words carefully; to deliberate

汹涌xiōngyǒngturbulent; surging (of water)

Grammar note 语法点

固然…，但…

'Admittedly A, but B' — concedes a point before turning to the real argument; more formal than 虽然. 例：用它获取信息固然方便，但不能取代系统的阅读。

这个办法固然省事，但风险太大。— This method is admittedly convenient, but the risk is too great.

无异于

'To be no different from; tantamount to' — a formal comparison used to condemn or dramatize: doing A is effectively doing B. 例：以碎片化阅读取代读书，无异于用零食代替正餐。

明知有错却不改，无异于自欺欺人。— Knowing you are wrong yet refusing to change is tantamount to deceiving yourself.

Check yourself 小测验

1. According to the text, what is the greatest harm of fragmented reading?

2. What does the text compare replacing systematic reading with fragmented reading to?

3. What does neuroscience research say happens to a brain long accustomed to skimming?

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